There's a good reason most people are paid by the hour. Time is money. We've found that the less money we need, the more time we have for the important things in life. Simplicity and self-reliance shape our lives.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

It's a simple equation, really

Mr. Obama has a plan called Zero to Five that is aimed at getting the government involved in your life soon after your child is born. He says he wants to launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children ages zero to five. Very noble intentions I'm sure, but it seems that the current model of two-income families, day-care from infancy is a huge boon to the government. Think about it. Nearly twice the number of adults work from January to early May to pay their share of federal taxes as did a few decades ago. There's a broader base of workers/voters now in need of services that the government can promise in exchange for your vote. Here you have the inroads to tyranny, all starting in the nursery.

I'll remind you of one of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Disraeli: "It has been discovered that the best way to insure implicit obedience is to commence tyranny in the nursery."

My husband points out that the biggest advantage for government in promoting this notion of education and, let's face it, child-rearing as a service instead of a family responsibility is that young children learn that this is normal. Mommy and Daddy work, the government gets paid and they get left with their peers to learn bad habits, pick up nasty germs and learn how to be part of a peer group instead of part of a family.

No thanks. I know it's old-fashioned, but we want kids so we can raise them ourselves. And don't give me this "It takes a village" crap. It is true, but the sense in which this phrase is tossed out nearly always refers to government programs. Government programs are no substitute for communities and associations that sprout up voluntarily. Period.

I know I've been ranting a lot lately. It must be the pregnancy hormones. To make up for that, here's a cute photo of Jim and Danny. Enjoy.

1 comment:

Thanks for your rant. You're SO right. As much as i hate to have only mediocre candidates as my option, each day i find more reasons to NOT vote for Obama. His speeches and programs and ideas keep making me think of the good intentions in 1984, V for Vendetta, Aeon Flux, and Equilibrium...